What Are the Best Ethics CPE Courses for CPAs?

Key Takeaway

This page compares six CPA ethics CPE providers on course availability, state specific or general coverage, starting price, and rating, to help CPAs choose the right ethics CPE course.

• Compares six ethics CPE providers, including CPEThink.com, Illumeo, Pacific CPE, Becker, CCH CPELink, and AICPA and CIMA, on ethics offering, state specific or general coverage, starting price, and rating.
• Shows that CPEThink.com offers over 100 ethics courses priced from $12.95 to $74.95 for 1 to 7 credits, with unlimited access to all ethics courses included in every subscription tier.
• Explains that state specific ethics requirements focus on a states accountancy act and board rules, while general ethics courses cover the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct and do not satisfy a state specific requirement on their own.
• Lists what to check before enrolling in an ethics course, including state board approval, specific content requirements, the exact credits needed, how the credits fit the reporting period, and affordable transparent pricing.

What Are the Best Ethics CPE Courses for CPAs?: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Which providers does this ethics CPE comparison cover?

This comparison covers six ethics CPE providers, including CPEThink.com, Illumeo, Pacific CPE, Becker, CCH CPELink, and AICPA and CIMA.

What does CPEThink.com offer for ethics CPE?

CPEThink.com offers over 100 ethics courses priced from $12.95 to $74.95 for 1 to 7 credits, with unlimited access included in every subscription tier.

How do state specific ethics requirements differ from general ethics requirements?

State specific ethics requirements focus on a states accountancy act, administrative codes, and board rules, while general ethics courses cover the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct and do not satisfy a state specific requirement on their own.

What should CPAs check before enrolling in an ethics course?

CPAs should check state board approval, specific content requirements, and the exact number of credits needed, along with how the credits fit their reporting period and whether the pricing is transparent.

Why choose a credible ethics CPE provider?

A credible provider reduces the risk of rejected ethics credits and typically offers a wider course selection, quality training, strong money back guarantees, and solid third party ratings.

When it comes to ethics CPE, some providers offer both general and state-specific courses, either of them, or have membership-tiered pricing. So, the question is: Which CPE providers offer the best ethics courses? This page compares six popular CPA ethics CPE providers to help you enroll in the right one.

CPEThink.com:

CPEThink.com offers over 100 general and state-specific ethics courses, available individually or through any of its subscriptions. Unlimited access to all ethics courses is included in every subscription tier. Its ratings on Trustpilot and Shopper Approved indicate a high level of user satisfaction.

Illumeo:

Illumeo lists 90 or more ethics titles that cover both general ethics (AICPA Code of Professional Conduct and other topics) and state-specific requirements, so you will need to read each course's details to confirm it fits your board. Its individual subscriptions are priced at $199, $299, and $399 per year.

Pacific CPE:

Pacific CPE lists 18 ethics courses, considerably fewer than many other providers, with state-specific ethics courses for Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Virginia, and Washington. Its prepaid credit bundles, starting at $74.50 for 20 credits, can be used for any course in its library. The absence of a Trustpilot profile makes it harder to evaluate the provider's overall quality.

Becker:

Becker lists more than 80 ethics on-demand and webcast courses on a dedicated ethics page. Individual ethics courses start at $29 for 1 credit, and state-specific ethics courses start at $39 for 1 credit. Since their Trustpilot rating covers becker.com broadly and is dominated by its CPA exam review product, you should check other trust signals before enrolling in their CPE programs.

CCH CPELink (Wolters Kluwer):

CCH CPELink offers professional ethics courses for CPAs in most states, selected through a state drop-down on its ethics page. Its CPE subscription packages range from $299 to $599. Its cchcpelink.com Trustpilot profile has no reviews.

AICPA and CIMA:

AICPA and CIMA pricing is membership-tiered: its 9-credit comprehensive ethics course costs $235 to $289 depending on membership. The course page itself cautions that many states will not accept the AICPA course for their ethics requirement. Its Trustpilot profile shows a 2.1 out of 5 rating from 10 reviews.

What To Check Before Enrolling in an Ethics Course to Meet Your Board's Requirements

• Board approval if your state mandates it. Even if the course comes from a NASBA-registered provider, it must be approved by your state board to meet your requirements.
• Specific content and subject requirements. Some states only accept ethics CPE courses that cover local rules and statutes instead of a generic overview.
• The exact number of credits required to satisfy your board. For example, you may meet a 4-credit requirement by taking multiple shorter courses, provided each one fulfills your board's minimum duration rules.
• How the ethics credits fit into your CPE reporting period, whether it's annual, biennial, or triennial.
• Affordable and transparent pricing. For example, CPEThink.com's 1-credit course is priced at $12.95, and all their subscription plans let you access all CPE ethics courses, which makes the per-credit price even lower.

How State-Specific CPA Ethics Requirements Differ from General Ethics Requirements

• State-specific ethics CPE requirements primarily focus on a specific state's accountancy act, administrative codes, and board rules. General ethics courses cover generic ethical aspects and the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct.
• An ethics course that covers only the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct generally does not satisfy a state-specific requirement.
• You can usually meet general ethics requirements by taking courses from NASBA-approved sponsors, but a course may need additional approval from the state board to meet state-specific requirements, depending on the state.
• Some boards that have state-specific requirements maintain a list of approved ethics courses, and you must take one of them to satisfy the board.
• If you're licensed in multiple states, you can't fulfill one board's state-specific requirements by meeting another board's general ethics requirements.

How To Fit CPA Ethics CPE Into Your Annual CPE Plan

• Complete necessary CPA CPE ethics courses with enough time in hand to avoid the risk of discovering that a course doesn't qualify or having incomplete documentation at the last minute.
• If you have a biennial or triennial reporting period, mark the precise year in which you want to complete ethics training to avoid overlooking the requirement.
• Reserve the mandatory credits for ethics before allocating remaining ones to other subject matter areas.
• Access to ethics courses included in annual CPE subscriptions greatly simplifies CPE planning if they meet your board's requirements, so try to buy one of them.
• Record details of completed ethics courses immediately to monitor completion easily.
• Maintain a dedicated ethics CPE checklist to make sure you don't miss anything.

Why To Join a Credible CPE Ethics Courses Provider

• With strict guidelines governing ethics CPE for CPAs, joining a new or unapproved CPE provider may lead to rejection of your ethics credits. Choosing a credible provider like CPEThink.com, which has been in the industry since 2004 and is the 5th online CPE provider worldwide, reduces that risk.
• You get access to a variety of courses. For example, CPEThink.com has over 100 ethics courses, with individual prices ranging from $12.95 to $74.95 and offering 1 to 7 credits.
• A credible sponsor provides quality ethics training that enables you to correctly interpret the ethical principles and apply them to real-world scenarios effectively.
• Subscriptions may include ethics access. CPEThink.com gives unlimited access to all their ethics courses regardless of your subscription tier.
• You get a solid money-back guarantee. CPEThink.com offers a 100-day, 100% money-back guarantee.
• Strong ratings on third-party review websites (CPEThink.com has 4.8-4.9 out of 5.0 on Trustpilot and Shopper Approved) indicate the platform's overall quality.

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